“The Song Remains The Same” is the second short story in our ebook serial entitled “GOLD1E” and features our gal on assignment duty once more for the Specialist Woman’s Organization of Retribution & Defense (S.W.O.R.D.) –
In this second short story, Goldie Johnson travels on The Silver Meteor to South Florida where she meets up with local P.I. Paul Trevino in connection with the previous death of an author and a link back to Woodstock ’69, which in turn unravels the involvement of a long lost relative! When things go considerably awry on a stake-out during an attempted bust on a drug ‘pipeline’, the investigation leads Goldie on a train trek up to Rocky Mount, Virginia with the hope of discovering the answers to some questions which have remained long unanswered…
“The Song Remains The Same” – Prologue:
“Sonny, keep your head down while I aim good and straight!” exclaimed the one known as Jerry, gradually regaining his breath from the side and round kicks she had delivered to his chest and stomach, now steadying his gun with both hands standing approximately twenty meters into the darkness across from them.
The flicker of gun metal and one side of his face was the only illumination in the near distance. The light from the garage drowned the area on which she now stood with the one known as Sonny, whose neck she clasped within the grip of her left arm and whose head she now pressed the Beretta 92fs onto – the trigger finger of her right hand controlled the option.
“Let go of him, bitch,” continued Jerry, his southern drawl very sure of an outcome, “else that purdy li’l face underneath that there baseball cap is goan need some beauty therapy!”
“Pull the trigger…shoot it now!” the choking demand croaked from the depths of Sonny’s throat as she further clamped her hold around his neck.
Then, she felt a forceful dig into her arm as Sonny attempted to push his chin and whole body downward so Jerry could get a clearer shot of her head and chest. She tried to steady her stance in order to maintain her grip, and the grimacing expression surged across her face in trying to defy Sonny’s attempt of gaining the advantage. The presence of the expression tugged at the corner of her mouth – the impact of the back of Sonny’s ‘leather’ dry hand a few moments ago. She further scraped the barrel of the Beretta into the gray shag of his hair to remind him of his potential fate, as the thought of knocking him unconscious with the butt of the pistol may also prove to have a fatal consequence for her, knowing that Jerry may not think twice about pulling his trigger.
Now more aware of her stance being open to the line of fire, the bleary brightness of the dangling rusty lantern of the garage caught the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she was reminded of the inspiring scene in “The Fisher King” – the glittering mirror ball of the clock at Grand Central Station in New York City, accompanied by the waltzing couples gliding across the floor beneath it. However, such scenes of fantasy would only hold an image of romanticism for her if the waltzing couples each carried a gun in order to protect themselves. It was such protection that she undoubtedly needed at this moment.
The blood now seeping from the corner of her mouth…the name of a senior member of the Johnson family now seeping into her flood of thoughts…an outcome awaited the standoff of a ‘Mexican’ variety seeping into the situation as she continued to wrestle with Sonny’s neck:
“SHOOT THIS BITCH!!”
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– The “HOUSES OF THE HOLY” Reflections –
[spotify https://play.spotify.com/album/5phxHbK2GSr7hEu4orLywP]
“The CD album is actually playing in the background of the first scene at the start of this story. The influence of the album’s opening song – “The Song Remains The Same” – stems from a combination of both the instrumentation and lyrics: the guitar and rhythm section subconsciously reminded me of a train’s pounding mechanics on its journey along its track of destiny. A furious locomotive that can’t wait to arrive at where it’s heading to face its destination – or its awaiting public. Therefore, this inspiration offered the prospect of allowing Goldie to travel on the Silver Meteor on her next S.W.O.R.D. assignment. It is also reminiscent of Goldie’s urgency in her journey, but alternatively, approaching an unsuspecting ‘public’ at her destination.”
“At the beginning of the song when the band almost ‘crash’ the pace to a halt and Robert Plant’s vocals ignite with the lyrics: ‘I had a dream, a crazy dream…’ I thought this further inspired an allusion to what happened in ‘A Purple Reign’ (the first ‘GOLD1E’ story) which also could mean that she still experiences such dreams leading up to this journey. And then we have the lyrics: ‘Anything I wanted to know, any place I needed to go’ – this line inspired a reference to her organization providing such information or ‘knowledge’ and travel arrangements if required.”
“The lyric of ‘Any little song that you know’ – this further inspired the thinking behind Goldie’s relationship with her organization: the ‘dancing’ or ‘singing’ to their song, which in these instances are the assignments she finds herself undertaking. It can also allude to her own singing talent which she can hardly find time to further undertake whilst she ‘sings’ a different kind of ‘song’, but one which she is becoming familiar with.”
“‘Everything that’s small has to grow‘ – these lyrics inspired my thinking toward the organization in itself with Goldie being the primary operative. And we also discover in this story that S.W.O.R.D. (being the organization in question) is gradually growing.”
“‘California sunlight‘ – this inspired a ‘nod’ to Goldie’s birthplace. The lyrics also mention ‘Calcutta‘ and ‘Honolulu‘ which influenced my thinking toward potential places where she could be sent on assignment. The title lyrics of ‘The Song Remains The Same’ confirming her ‘position’ with her organization throughout the story.”
“‘The Rain Song‘ with its evocative lyrics which paint its romantic textures is like a ‘lover’s lament’ between Goldie and her late husband, Gil. But also it’s a song with a ‘double-edged sword’ type of retrospective which influenced my allusion to the events which had occurred in Goldie’s life after Gil’s death. Therefore it’s eerily prophetic.”
The complete first short story in the “GOLD1E” serial can be accessed for FREE at the following picture link:
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Don’t miss the “GOLD1E” Interview with writer, Tony G. Marshall at the following picture link:
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Goldie now with her very own dedicated Facebook and Twitter profiles at the following links below:
♫ COSMIC DWELLINGS ♫ 